During the holidays the added stress can cause contention as well as family disputes.
However if you are dealing with an at-risk teenager, a teen that was already struggling down a negative path - maybe experimenting with drugs or hanging with a less than desirable peer group or has failed their first semester of school, holiday times can be more strenuous.
Dealing with troubled teens at any time of the year is not easy, it is a challenge. Dealing with troubled teens during the holidays can be double the trouble. With time off from school, many families have both parents working with limited supervision at home which leaves many teens on their own. Have you checked your medicine cabinets lately?
Parents' Universal Resource Experts, founded in Broward County, has been helping families with teens in trouble for almost a decade. One of the common threads is during the holidays when teens start to escalate with their issues, and parents will go deep into denial hoping to get through the holidays.
What they don't seem to understand is that teenager is crying out for help and prolonging this help can only make things worse - whether it ends up in a legal battle or otherwise, if you are debating an intervention with your teens, don't hestitate because it is the holiday. There will be many more holidays in the future and the sooner you get your teen help, the sooner your family will be on the road to healing.
Being a parent in denial is also being selfish. This is not about the parent - it is about the teen. There will be plenty of time for blame and/or shame later, the immediate issue is getting your teen help.
Ask yourself:
- Is your teen escalating out of control?
- Is your teen becoming more and more defiant and disrespectful?
- Is your teen manipulative? Running your household?
- Are you hostage in your own home by your teen's negative behavior?
- Is your teen angry, violent or rage outbursts?
- Is your teen verbally abusive?
- Is your teen rebellious, destructive and withdrawn?
- Is your teen aggressive towards others or animals?
- Is your teen using drugs and/or alcohol?
- Does your teen belong to a gang?
- Do they frequently runaway or leave home for extended periods of time?
- Has their appearance changed - piercing, tattoo's, inappropriate clothing?
- Has your teen stopped participating in sports, clubs, church and family functions? Have they become withdrawn from society?
Need parent choices? Click here.
Helpful hints when looking for residential therapy: Click here.
Visit www.helpyourteens.com for more information.
Read more.
